Brent Komonos, technical work director, told the commission that several county road projects are advancing and the department is preparing for winter.

Komonos said striping work may occur this Thursday or Friday, or next week if weather delays the contractor. The county had expected its usual contractor to perform the work after grant-funded paving but that contractor was unavailable, so the county arranged with an alternate vendor to fit the local striping into the vendor’s schedule.

On bridge work, Komonos reported that the Hoosier Bridge ramp south of Walker is progressing and is expected to reopen in mid- to late December. He also noted the county has signed a preliminary engineering agreement under a state grant to begin design on the Fleet River Bridge.

Komonos described a small local scour repair where a full concrete flume would be costly (concrete-only cost estimated above $7,000). Because the property owner prefers a lower-cost approach, staff will propose cleaning the scour area and placing asphalt millings as a less expensive repair; that proposal was scheduled to appear on next week’s agenda.

On winter readiness, Komonos said the department has drawn trucks in for service, refreshed spreaders, and will install larger light-bar systems to improve visibility in poor weather. He noted wiring differences on newer trucks will require mounting adjustments. Crews will shift hours for winter operations and plan to perform reclamation or rock work later this winter so roads are ready for spring asphalt work.

Komonos also requested accelerating conditioning work on Canterbury Road (in coordination with RHID) so the roadway is better prepared for winter traffic and, if the county later chooses to pave, the road will be ready. He summarized early results from the county’s new thirteenth territory for grader deployment, saying shifts in equipment locations and staffing produced growing pains but generally improved coverage after moisture events.

Komonos concluded that wet summer conditions both helped maintain road crusts during the season and delayed asphalt work because rain often fell in windows when paving was scheduled.